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Updated: May 30, 2026

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms
Published on: December 9, 2015
The challenge of developing robust drugs to overcome resistance
Amy C Anderson1, Michael P Pollastri, Celia A Schiffer
1Institute for Drug Resistance, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605-2324, USA.
Abstract:
Drug resistance is problematic in microbial disease, viral disease and cancer. Understanding at the outset that resistance will impact the effectiveness of any new drug that is developed for these disease categories is imperative. In this Feature, we detail approaches that have been taken with selected drug targets to reduce the susceptibility of new drugs to resistance mechanisms. We will also define the concepts of robust drugs and resilient targets, and discuss how the design of robust drugs and the selection of resilient targets can lead to successful strategies for combating resistance.
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